Charging camera batts in the field

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Was correct in hearing that ONE of the reasons why Brian at Gritty Bowmen switch camera brands was so he could connect a solar charger directly to his camera to help keep the batteries charged all day, and the Canon's won't support that kind of setup?

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Tanya Avery

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I'm not sure, but I would definitely be interested in that answer!


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dotman

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Solar isn't a constant power, its best used to charge a battery pack that will charge your camera, phone etc. just make sure it is in a south facing location that will get plenty of sun.
 

colonel00

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^^^This. If you are taking a solar setup, take a battery bank to charge in a stationary position all day long. If you have to leave your camera with the solar panel all day while it's charging then there's no point in taking the camera.

Truthfully though, getting a few extra camera batteries will probably end up weighing less unless you are just powering through a ton of photos.
 
OP
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I found the podcast I was looking for.
At 1:19 of podcast 238 Brian talks about using a Dark Energy unit that is strapped to the cage or tripod as a back-up if his batteries are going low in the "heat of the moment", and just plug it in to the usb port if need be and get 4 to 5 hrs of (battery) juice. I swear I remember him saying you can't run the dark energy on the Canon and as I look at my 70D it doesn't have a USB port so it won't work. The sony A7s2 will support it.
 

colonel00

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Oh, I think he may be referencing the fact that some cameras don't let you charge and film at the same time. Basically they shut down into a "review" mode where you can only look at photos/video you've taken. I recently picked up a Canon G7x MarkII and it has this behavior. My Pentax DSLR's are the same I believe. For me, this is only an issue if you are trying to do a long timelapse or something like that where your battery will die during the "filming".

Still, I'd still rather carry extra batteries rather than relying on solar power unless it was a really long trip. I'll carry an Anker 21000mah battery bank to recharge stuff if necessary but that's usually my phone, inReach and watch.
 

Low_Sky

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Some cameras (ex., my old entry level Canon dslr) don't have USB charging. Some cameras have USB charging, but limited functionality while charging. Some cameras can charge and shoot at the same time (ex., Sony mirrorless). Just have to read the manual and find out.

With my Canon t3i, I would haul a small mountain of spare batteries with me. With my Sony a6500 I bring one spare Sony battery and a 10,000 mah battery pack.


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Justin Crossley

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All the Canon cameras that I know of require you to remove the battery to charge. I prefer Canon cameras though and just carry extra batteries.
 

atcflick

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I run the dark energy. I have a charger that uses usb to charge. So therefore I just take the charger and the dark energy. The charger only takes two canon 80d batteries, but I can charge it 3-4 times. It's pretty handy actually.
 
OP
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I don't think Brian was saying he uses it to replace having to carry as many extra batteries. I'm certain he referred to using it when he was low on battery in the heat of the moment and didn't want or have time to shut off the camera and swap batteries. He could just plug in the Dark Energy and keep rolling. Seems like a solid tactic to avoid having the batteries go dead just before the money shot. Just to make it clear, I pack 8 batteries.
 
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All the Canon cameras that I know of require you to remove the battery to charge. I prefer Canon cameras though and just carry extra batteries.

Damn!

I'll try it tonight; I have the Dark Energy bank and a Canon t5 Rebel. Was just going to charge directly while the battery was still in the camera. Hoping this works out. I have 1 backup battery and I'll be sure to place both in the bottom of my bag at night.
 

Hoopermat

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Does anyone just hunt anymore.

Why are so many people filming hunts? And does anyone get a film permit for it if on public land.
Even for you tube a permit is required.
 

colonel00

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Does anyone just hunt anymore.

Why are so many people filming hunts? And does anyone get a film permit for it if on public land.
Even for you tube a permit is required.
No

Why not

What permit exactly is required to film on public land?

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OP
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A permit is not needed (in Idaho at least) if you are not profiting from the footage. I like to film and take pictures while I hunt because I'm addicted to sharing them on social media and checking my phone every 5 minutes to see how many likes I have received. Not really! Personally, I haven't filmed a lot,but it is only because I haven't had the equipment. I have taken a fair amount of game, so now I want to capture the moment(s) when my hunting partners have opportunities so we can re-live them and share them with other outdoorsman and women who enjoy watching hunting films. I'm in a position now where I can invest in some decent equipment and pursue a passion that I have had since the outdoor channel first aired. I'm not sure of the statistics, but I'm guessing that 99.50%(+/-) of hunters don't film and just hunt. I would be willing to bet that a fair percentage of them enjoy watching hunting videos/television.
 
OP
Idaho Brad
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Oh, and one more thing. I do it to get on as many "Pro"Staffs that I can. That way I can increase my SM following and get more likes! Which equates to more "Pro" Staff positions and 20% off discount codes on the products I don't even like, but I get to say I'm on someones "staff", which leads to more SM followers, and so on :)
 
OP
Idaho Brad
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Does anyone just hunt anymore.

Why are so many people filming hunts? And does anyone get a film permit for it if on public land.
Even for you tube a permit is required.

All are valid questions, and would be great as a stand alone thread in a different forum category. They look like they would fit well within the "General Discussion" category.
 
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